Method and apparatus for winding metal strip for open-coil annealing and resulting coil



Feb. 17, 1970 w. E. COLEMAN 3 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WINDING METAL STRIP FOR OPEN-COIL ANNEALING AND RESULTING COIL .Filed Feb. 15, 1967 INVENTORS WILL/AM E. COLEMAN Allarney United States Patent Office 3,495,785 Patented Feb. 17, 1970 US. Cl. 24278.1 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for coiling of metal strip wound for opencoil annealing, in which the coil wraps are spaced by a wire wound helically to rigidify the coil and facilitate handling.

This invention relates to an improved method and apparatus for winding metal strip for open-coil annealing, and to the resulting coil as an article of manufacture.

It is known there are advantages in annealing coils of metal strip with the individual wraps spaced from one another, a practice known as open-coil annealing. The coil is placed in an annealing furnace with its axis vertical, and the gases which make up the furnace atmosphere flow through the open spaces between wraps. Thus the gases contact the strip surface throughout the coil to assure a more nearly uniform product. The usual way of winding an open coil is to wind a nylon string beween the wraps, and pull out the string before the coil is heated. With the string removed, the coil is non-rigid. Spaces between wraps become irregular, with the result that uniformity is lost. The difficulty can be overcome partially by substituting a twisted or stranded wire for the string, for example, as shown in Plate Patent No. 3,281,290. The wire remains'in the coil while it is annealed, and the twists alford passages for gas flow. Nevertheless a coil wound in this fashion is rigid only at the top and remains difficult to handle. With either method it is necessary to wind the open coil as a separate opera tion with the axis vertical.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for winding an open coil of strip and overcoming the foregoing difficulties, that is, a method and apparatus which produce a rigid open coil without necessitating a separate winding operation.

A more specific object is to provide an improved winding method and apparatus in which a wire is Wound helically between the wraps of metal strip, whereby the helical wire rigidifies the open coil, as well as permitting the wire to wind with the strip directl as it comes from a processing line.

A further object is to provide, as an article of manufacture, a relatively rigid open coil of strip metal which includes a helically wound wire spacing the wraps from one another.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of a portion of a cold reduction mill for metal strip equipped with my improved winding apparatus;

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic vertical sectional view on line IIII of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a coil wound according to my invention.

FIGURE 1 shows a portion of a strip processing line which includes an uncoiling mandrel 10, a billy roll 12, two cold-reduction roll stands 13 and 14, a tension [bridle 15, and a coiling mandrel 16. A continuous metal strip 17 feeds from a coil 18 supported on mandrel 10, passes over the billy roll 12, through the roll stands 13 and 14 and bridle 15, and forms a coil 19 on mandrel 16. A drive 20 is operatively connected with mandrel 16 for winding coil 19 thereon. The foregoing mechanisms embodied in the line are conventional; hence I have not shown them in detail. I wish also to point out that the line shown is merely illustrative of an environment in which I can apply my invention, and numerous other arrangements are possible.

In accordance with my invention, I wind 9. wire 21 between the individual wraps of coil 19. The wire comes from a coil 22, and is of a type which afiords gas passages, as known in the art. A double-threaded traversing screw 23 is journaled in suitable bearings to rotate on an axis parallel with the axis of the coiling mandrel 16. I connect the screw to the drive 20 through a gear reducer 24. The screw carries a positioning device 25 which has an eye 26. As the screw rotates, the positioning device travels back and forth along the length thereof in the double threads. The distance of travel approaches the strip width, but is an inch or so shorter at each side. Wire 21 passes through eye 26 on its way to winding in the coil 19. Thus the wire winds helically between the coil wraps, and the helices extend substantially the width of the coil.

As FIGURE 3 shows, the wire 21 furnishes support to the open coil wraps throughout the Width of the coil. Thus the coil is rigid and can be handled conveniently. I can wind the open coil with its axis horizontal as part of the regular coiling operation at the end of a processing line, as illustrated. The rigidity of the coil enables it to be turned on end for annealing. Of course I do not exclude winding the open coil ina separate operation, or with its axis vertical.

While I have shown and described only a single embodiment of my invention, it is apparent that modifications may arise. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the disclosure set forth but only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A method of winding a coil of metal strip for opencoil annealing comprising winding the strip on a mandrel to form a coil, and winding a wire helically with the strip between the wraps of the coil, the wire helices extending substantially the Width of the coil and affording passages for gas flow between the wraps.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 in which the coil is wound with its axis horizontal.

3. A method as defined in claim 1 in which the coil is wound at the end of a processing line as part of the regular operation.

4. An apparatus for winding coils of metal strip for open-coil annealing comprising a mandrel, drive means operatively connected to said mandrel for rotating it, means for feeding strip to said mandrel to form a coil thereon, a double-threaded traversing screw journaled in parallel relation to said mandrel and being operatively connected with said drive means to be rotated thereby, a positioning device carried by said screw to travel back and forth along the length thereof in said thread as the screw rotates, and means for feeding wire through said positioning device into the coil as it winds on said mandrel, said wire forming helices between the coil wraps.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,224,997 1'2/1940 Weisse 242-78.1 2,702,166 2/1955 Bishop et al 242-78.1 X 3,281,290 10/1966 Plate 148-134 NATHAN L. MINTZ, Primary Examiner 

